Early Summer Ski Tour

Exiting trip during the 'Living On Frozen Water' expedition.
A 19-days trip with a 15 days ski-tour, June 18th - July 6th 2011

At the start of the summer the snow starts to melt in the valley's, but on the glaciers there is still enough snow for ski-touring. In the last 2 weeks of June this trip will take place around the area of the two big glaciers: The Nordenskiold- and Mittag Leffler-Glacier. The best place to start this trip will be at the fjord close to the glacierfront of the Nordenskiold glacier. But due to sea-ice conditions (which might be still in this fjord), we might have to start on another place.
    * Click here to see a map of this trip.


Width views high up on the glacier.

Mostly we will ski from camp to camp with a sledge (pulk) behind us, setting up camp every evening. But we will also make daytrips (without sledge). With nice weather we can scramble up some mountains and enjoy the great view from the top.
Other things we will do on this trip.
- We will visit the basecamp of the "Living On Frozen Water" expedition,
   hopefully the iglo's at the basecamp are still intact.
- We will walk up the Tarantellen mountainridge and enjoy the view while standing under the Tarantellen.
- We will visit the special area around Hoglandvatnet. (many huge ice-blocks in the lake and on the shore)
- we will visit Alandslake, located beside the Mittag Leffler glacier.
- We will ski down (and up again) the Mittag Leffler glacier. Maybe the last part we have to walk.
- At the Mittag Leffler glacierfront we will see the long and small Weidefjorden.
- This fjord is at the north side of Spitsbergen. For sure we will see some sea-ice here, maybe with some seals on it.


Campsite on the glacier.

We will visit, on ski's, many special places. The daily programme is highly connected to snow- and weather-conditions. It is mostly up to the weather when we will visit some of these special places. The normal day temperature on the glacier at this time of the year is some degree below zero. It can be warmer or colder.
We will follow another way back to the Nordenskiold glacier. The pick-up place for the boat, who brings the participants back to Longyearbyen, might be another place then where this trip started. The total skiing distance is about 110 km.

Visit also these pages: Winter- & Summertrips from Fjelltours on Spitsbergen ; here you will find much more important background information about these trips.

Take also a look at this page: Walking & skiing with a pulk (sledge) over the Spitsbergen glaciers.


View over a small glacierlake.

Brief programme of this trip:
  June 18th: Arrival with plane at Longyearbyen.
  June 19th: Packing the equipment in Longyearbyen.
  June 20th: Departure with the boat to Nordenskioldglacier and start of the ski-tour.
  June 21st - July 3rd: Skitouring over the glacier and making daytrips.
  July 4th: Pick-up by a boat at the Nordenskiold glacier.
  July 5th: Sight seeing in Longyearbyen.
  July 6th: Departure with the plane from Longyearbyen.

  Startingdate 2011:
  •   June 18th

    The price of this 19-days Early Summer Ski Tour is € 1813,- p.p.
    Travelcode: SB11SST

      In this trip price is included:
    1. 4 overnights in Longyearbyen in chambers with more people (2 overnights at the start and 2 at the end),
    2. 14 overnights in 2-3 persons wintertents.
    3. A travel insurance which also covers all the cost of an emergency rescue if necessary,
      during our 15-days fieldtrip on Spitsbergen.
      This insurance is an obligation when you go out on a long fieldtrip in Spitsbergen.
    4. The use of a 2-3 persons wintertent with an isolated foil for under the inner tent.
    5. The use of a sledge with pullingframe and harnass.
    6. The use of cooking equipment to make hot water, a petrol stove with all the fuel.
    7. The use of a snowshovel.
    8. Professional guide, the guide will take care that the programme (as mentioned here above) will be done safe. The guide carry all the necessarry and obligated equipment, which is needed to make a multi day backcountry glacier trip on Spitsbergen.
    9. Transport with a boat to the start of the trip and the pick up with a boat at the end of the trip.
    10. The participants will receive information and instructions about the necessary clothes (detailed packing list),
      about camping on Spitsbergen and about the safety aspects on Spitsbergen (Polarbear protection).
      Not included:
    1. meals: It is possible to cook and have meals together durings the overnights in Longyearbyen. The participants will receive information which food (and how much) is handy to use during camping on Spitsbergen.
    2. Cross country ski's for back country skiing (no randonnee ski's), the skins.
      It is possible to hire these equipment by Fjell Tours (only if booking is made before December 1st 2009). The participants will receive information about this.
    3. The flight to and from Spitsbergen.
    4. Transport from/towards the airport to/from our overnight stay in Longyearbyen.(about € 5,-, one way)


        The amount of Participants: min. 4, max. 8


    • Bad weather, the colour of the sledge is normally red.

    The participants can hire specific equipment/clothes (like ski's, downjacket, extra sleepingbag, extra matrass, crampons etc.) by Fjell Tours, (only if booking is made before September 1st 2010), see for this:
    Winter- & Summertrips from Fjelltours on Spitsbergen

    To join this trip the participant must have:
    1. Cross country ski touring experience (not randonnee).
    2. Some mountain walking experience in rough terrain, outside the track.
    3. Camping experience in rough terrain, or winter camping experience
    4. a Good condition, although the skiing distance is not long, this is a long trip with many fielddays (2 weeks)!!
    5. Patience, participants must be aware that it might happen that we have to wait 1 or more days inside the tents
      due to bad weather or other circumstances.
    6. Flexibility, The plan for the day can change rapidly, or the daily schedule is changing.
      It might happen that we walk during the night.
      This makes no difference on Spitsbergen, There is no darkness in this time of the year.

    The guide knows how and where to walk/ski save on these glaciers. Sometimes we can walk/ski easy over the glacier, sometimes it takes extra time if we have to cross wet area's on the glacier.

    To join this trip and to sign in, please send an email to: info@FjellTours.nl
    Also for further questions about this trip, please send an email

        * Back to Summertrips 2011.


    Last update on June 8th 2010














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